Basin Electric's Menoken TSM hosts safety training

A tabletop exercise was completed at the Menoken Transmission System Maintenance (TSM) outpost to prepare the team in case an active shooter event should ever take place. The exercise, facilitated by North Dakota Safety Council, was intended to reveal any weaknesses and gaps in current emergency plans, procedures, and communication.

A similar tabletop exercise was done at Headquarters last fall, which was educational and successful. After that training, TSM safety coordinator Chad Sandve requested that an active shooter training would be hosted at Menoken TSM to help prepare his team.

"Unfortunately, there has been a rise in active shooter events across the U.S., so it's especially important that our employees know how to handle a situation like this," Sandve said. "It's the kind of training that we hope to never have to use."

To help review current processes and make enhancements, several groups were asked to participate in the training, including Burleigh County Sheriff's Office, Bismarck Rural Fire Department, Burleigh County Emergency Management, North Dakota Safety Council, TSM Staff, Basin Electric Security, and Basin Electric Communications.

"Participating in a tabletop active shooter exercise is a proactive measure to ensure everyone involved is prepared, informed, and capable of responding effectively to a potential crisis," Gene Geisen, manager of physical security, said. "Having law enforcement, emergency response, firefighters, and others participate in the exercise helps with coordination, communication skills, and getting familiar with the facility, which is a huge plus in preparing for an actual event."

To wrap-up the training, participants broke into small groups to discuss what went well and what areas could be improved. Then the group came back together for an After Action Review.

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